Introduction and Overview for an IELTS Bar Chart

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An introduction and overview for an IELTS chart is given below. The introduction is the easiest paragraph to write and the overview is the most important paragraph in your report. Look at the sample paragraphs below for the IELTS chart given and fill in the gaps. This lesson will help you understand introduction and overview content as well as improve your language skills.

The chart below shows the average monthly expenditure by British households in three years.

ielts chart

Introduction and Overview for an IELTS Chart

Fill in the gaps with no more than two words in order to complete the introduction and overview for the above chart. Remember this is about paraphrasing and ensuring information is stated correctly.

Introduction

The (1) ……………………… illustrates the typical (2)  ……………………….. of money spent each month on utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment (3) …………..groceries by households in Britain in three years (1990, 2000 and 2010). Units are (4) …………………. in pounds sterling.

Overview

(5) …………………., the largest expenditure by far was on rent in all three years, (6)  ………………. the least amount of money spent was on utility bills and entertainment. Although there was a significant (7)  …………………. in spending on rent, transport and utility bills, there was little change in the amount spent on the two other items.

Answers & Full Model
  1. chart / bar chart
  2. amount
  3. and
  4. measured
  5. Overall (this is the most appropriate linker to use)
  6. whereas / while
    1. it is not possible to use “in comparison to” or any similar linker due to the grammar structure of the sentence. To use “in comparison to” the sentence must read “…the largest expenditure was on rent in comparison to the least amount of money spent which was on …”
  7. increase / rise / growth

Here is a full model answer with an alternative introduction:

The bar chart illustrates how much money households in Britain spent in an average month on utility bills, transport, rent, entertainment and groceries in 1990, 2000 and 2010. Units are measured in pounds sterling.

Overall, the largest expenditure by far was on rent, whereas the least amount of money spent was on utility bills and entertainment. Although there was a significant rise in spending on rent, transport and utility bills, there was little change in the amount spent on the two other items.

Expenditure on rent increased from around £450 per month in 1990 to £600 by 2010. Likewise, money spent on transport and utility bills climbed by almost £100 to about £250 and £150 respectively.

On the other hand, the typical amount of money spent on groceries in the UK barely changed, remaining at just over £300 over the three year period. The money spent on entertainment showed marginal change dropping only by approximately £10 to £100 in the final year.

Tips & Vocab
Paraphrases:

  • shows = illustrates
  • the average monthly = in a typical month
  • expenditure = amount of money spent / how much money was spent

As you can see paraphrases are minimal. Instead of lots of unnecessary paraphrases, alter the structure of the sentence to showcase your language skills. Over paraphrasing can lead to unnecessary errors which can lower your score.

Tips:

  • Either state how many categories there are or list each category in the introduction.
  • Always give dates in the introduction.
  • Give the units if necessary as a final sentence in the introduction.
  • Put key features together in the overview.
  • The overview is usually a separate paragraph which starts with the linking word “Overall”. This helps the examiner locate the overview quickly which is considered a good aspect of report writing.
  • This IELTS chart is considered a simple chart and all students aiming for band score 6 and above should be able to write this report without many errors.
  • See the recommended links below to help you further.

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Recommended Lessons

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IELTS Summary Completion Reading Practice

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Summary Completion Question in IELTS reading. You should skim read the passage and then spend time reading through the summary to predict answers and prepare paraphrases.

IELTS Reading Summary Completion Questions

Below you will find some useful tips and techniques for tackling Summary Completion questions in IELTS Reading. You’ll also find a great practice lesson to test out your skills.

IELTS Reading Summary Completion Tips

This type of question is similar to sentence completion questions that are very common in IELTS Reading. However, the difference is that sentence completion questions give you a list of separate sentences relating to different parts of the passage with missing words. But for Summary Completion questions, you are given a short paragraph (not separate sentences) with missing words.

There are two kinds of summary completion questions in IELTS Reading.

  1. Type 1: With a Word List
    • This means you are given a summary paragraph with missing words and below that summary is a box with a collection of words. Each word is represented by a letter.
    • You will use the given words in the box to fill in the gaps.
    • There might be more words that you need in the box.
    • Your answer will be a letter, not a word.
    • For this practice summary reading, see the practice reading lesson below.
  2. Type 2: Without a Word List
    • This means you are given a summary paragraph with missing words and you must find the missing words in the passage. The word should be written precisely as it is shown in the passage.
    • You will be given instructions about how many words can be used to fill the gaps. Pay close attention and don’t go over the word limit.
    • There is a link to a reading exercise for Type 2 at the bottom of the page.

Below you will find a practice reading summary completion lesson Type 1.

How to Tackle Summary Completion Questions

  1. The answers will almost always come in order. But do be ready for the occasional time when they don’t.
  2. Start with the first gap and then progress step by step to the other gaps.
  3. Although this is a paragraph, you can tackle each sentence separately.
  4. Pay attention to keywords in the sentence you are tackling.
    • One type of keyword is a name or technical word that will be the same in the question and the passage.
    • Another type of keyword is one that will most likely be paraphrased. Not all paraphrases mean the use of synonyms. Sometimes it just means the meaning is rewritten in a different way and you can’t match it word for word.
  5. If you are asked for choose a word from a list, your answer will be a letter (not a word). Your answer would be marked wrong if you wrote the word.
  6. If you are asked for take the word from the passage, you must spell it correctly or your answer will be marked wrong.

IELTS Reading Summary Completion Practice Lesson

Reading Passage: Fermented Foods

Fermentation is a process in which an agent [typically bacteria and yeast] cause an organic substance to break down into simpler substances; especially, the anaerobic [no oxygen] breakdown of sugar into alcohol, i.e. the making of beer or wine. Fermentation in food processing is the conversion of carbohydrates (plant foods) to alcohols and carbon dioxide, or organic acids, using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions. Fermentation usually implies that the action of microorganisms is desirable, and the process is used to produce alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer, and cider. Fermentation is also employed in the leavening of bread, and for preservation techniques to create lactic acid in sour foods such as sauerkraut, dry sausages, kimchi and yogurt, or vinegar (acetic acid) for use in pickling foods.

Nobel Prize winner Dr. Elie Metchnikoff was one of the first scientists to recognize the benefits of eating fermented foods. His research in the early 1900’s focused on the Bulgarians. He believed the daily ingestion of yogurt was a major contribution to their superior health and longevity.

Bulgarians perfected the art of detoxifying and preserving milk (removing the lactose and predigesting the proteins) and transforming it into yogurt and cheese. For centuries, Europeans used wine as a source of clean, durable water. The Caucasians used Kefir grains for the same purpose: detoxify milk products to make Kefir. A range of vegetables were also fermented to preserve them from spoilage in many countries by individual households, such as kimchi in Korea and sauerkraut in Germany, both being predominantly made from cabbage. However, the fermentation process was too lengthy and not uniform so for wide scale food production manufacturers turned to pickling instead. Most of the pickled products found on our supermarket shelves today were at one time a fermented product, including kimchi, sauerkraut, catsup (Chinese  word for pickled fish brine) and English pickles made from either vegetables or fruit.

Questions 1-6

Complete the summary below by selecting the right word from the list (A-J) below. Write the correct letter for your answer.

 International Uses for Fermentation

At the start of the 20th century, Dr. Elie Metchnikoff put forward his belief that the  1 ……………… and good health of Bulgarians could be attributed to eating fermented food each day. By  2……………. and preserving milk, they were able to convert it into  3……………… and  4…………………. In other parts of Europe, fermented  5……………… was consumed as a replacement for clean water. People used to ferment  6……………….. which gave them a longer lifespan but nowadays mass production favours pickling.

IELTS Reading Summary Completion

ANSWERS

Click below to reveal the answers.

Answers
  1. C
  2. I
  3. B (any order)
  4. H (any order)
  5. E
  6. J

Passage from healing naturally by bee.com

All reading exercises on ieltsliz.com have been written by myself to help you prepare for your IELTS test.   

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Short Answer Questions: IELTS Listening Practice

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IELTS Listening Practice: Short Answer Questions. These questions can appear in any section of the IELTS listening test. You are required to listen to the recording and spot the answer to the question given.

Read through the questions before you listen to the audio. Predict the type of answer you need to listen for and underline any key words that might help you find the answer. Also prepare paraphrases as this is the key to IELTS.

IELTS Listening Short Answer Question Tips

  1. Check the title of the listening because they will tell you the type of language you are likely to hear.
  2. Note keywords in the question that:
    • tell you the type of word you need to listening for, such as a noun, verb, adjective or number
    • indicates the answer is coming in the recording
  3. Words given in the question are likely to be paraphrased.
  4. Pay attention to the word count for the answer.
  5. Get the answer from the recording – you need the precise word or words.
  6. The answers come in order.

IELTS Listening Short Answer Questions Practice

Listening Practice 1

Dashwood Sports Center

Questions 1-5: Write no more than two words and/or a number.

1. What time does the center open?
2. What kind of sports equipment does it sell?
3. How long do you have to return faulty items?
4. Who can give advice?
5. What time does it close on Tuesdays?

RECORDING:

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TRANSCRIPT & ANSWERS

Click below to reveal the transcript and answers.

Transcript
So let me show you round our Sports Center. As you can see, it is set in lovely grounds where you can find outdoor tennis courts as well as a swimming pool. The center itself opens daily at 9am and closes at 6pm. To the right here you can see the reception where you can book courts and find more information about the sports center. Further along to the right, just after the reception room, you will find the restaurant which opens at 11am and serves brunch, lunch and light snacks in the afternoon before it closes at 4pm. To the left, opposite the reception, there’s a small shop which sells sports equipment. I’m afraid it’s rather pricy but the quality is excellent as it sells only professional equipment. If you do decide to treat yourself to something, make sure you check it as soon as you get home as you’ll only have three days to get a refund if there’s anything wrong with it. If you go straight ahead, you’ll come to our advice desk. Now it’s only open for a short time each day around lunch time when one of our ex-pros, John Roberts, comes to give help to anyone who needs it. Oh and before I let you go to have a look around on your own, I just have to mention that on Tuesdays we have late night opening until 9pm. Well, that’s all. I hope you enjoy your time here and if you need me at all you can find me in reception.
Answers

1. 9am
2. professional / professional equipment
‘…there’s a small shop which sells sports equipment. I’m afraid it’s rather pricy but the quality is excellent as it sells only professional equipment.’
3. 3 days
‘…you’ll only have three days to get a refund if there’s anything wrong with it.’ (faulty = anything wrong with it)
4. John Roberts (capital letters not needed)
5. 9pm
‘…on Tuesdays we have late night opening until 9pm’. This question was a trap because a closing time was given at the beginning of the audio but you can’t answer question 5 before question 2, so you need to wait for another answer to come. Also the information at the beginning was about a daily closing time not specifically on Tuesdays. This is a very common trap in IELTS.

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Listening Practice 2

Superbugs 

Questions 1-8: Answers should be no more than two words and/or a number.

  1. Which mammals are often considered to be the strongest?
  2. How much weight in comparison to their body’s weight can a leaf-cutter ant pull?
  3. What animal was present on Earth when ants emerged?
  4. What are ant societies called?
  5. How much of the Earth’s biomass do ants make up?
  6. A dung beetle can pull the equivalent to what as a human being?
  7. What type of sound do dung beetles mostly use as communication?
  8. How much cattle dung are dung beetles thought to bury in some areas of Texas?

RECORDING:

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Vocabulary Focus Questions

Questions 9-13

Listening again to spot the paraphrases in the recording for the following words. Your answer should be one word only. These types of questions do NOT come in IELTS listening, but they are a great practice exercise for you.

  • 9. impressive
  • 10. pieces
  • 11. lorry
  • 12. audial
  • 13. waste

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TRANSCRIPT & ANSWERS

Click below:

Transcript

Transcript: When we think of animal species that are exceptionally strong, we usually think of large animals such as the elephant or rhino. These are formidable mammals that from their size are clearly so much stronger that we are. However, when it comes to strength in relation to size, we need to look at insects and in particular ants and beetles.

The leafcutter ant can carry over 20 times its own body weight in its jaws, which are known as mandibles. When they come across a leaf that is too heavy for them to carry, they cut the leaf into more manageable fragments. If we compare this to human strength it is similar to a human being lifting a truck with their teeth.

Ants are interesting for many reasons. They had already emerged about 90 million years ago at the time of the dinosaurs. Much later on, their numbers seem to grow as they developed into organised societies or as we know them, colonies. They now represent about 15% of this planet’s biomass.

However, the dung beetle is even more remarkable for its strength in relation to body weight. The dung beetle can pull weights which are in excess of 1,000 times their own body weight. If we translate this into human strength. It is like one person pulling six double-decker buses.

Unlike many insect or animal species, the dung beetle inhabits a range of habitats and can be found in most places on the planet. Their communication techniques mainly seem to focus on acoustic vibration. They are also great recyclers and play an important part in processing waste. For example, it is said that in parts of Texas, dung beetles are responsible for burying 80% of cattle excrement.

 Answers
  1. ELEPHANT  RHINO
  2. 20 TIMES
  3. DINOSAURS
  4. COLONIES
  5. 15%
  6. 6 DOUBLE-DECKER BUSES
  7. (ACOUSTIC) VIBRATION
  8. 80%
  9. FORMIDABLE
  10. FRAGMENTS
  11. TRUCK
  12. ACOUSTIC
  13. EXCREMENT

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IELTS Speaking Part 2: How to start your talk

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Start your talk with confidence by paraphrasing your topic card in IELTS speaking part 2. This video lesson gives advice and tips about the best way to begin your part 2 talk with example paraphrasing techniques to demonstrate a good command of English to the examiner. Target band score 6 and above.

Recommended Lessons

IELTS Video Lesson: How to improve your IELTS speaking: click here
Topics for IELTS speaking part 2: click here

Transcript

hello in this lesson I’m going to show
you

how to start your talk for IELTS speaking
part 2

now there is no right way all wrong way

to start your talk but I want to show
you a good way

to start and the topic we will use for
this lesson

is described a book you

recently read so let’s look at how to
start

here are to different ways to start

you could say I’d like to talk about

or I’m going to tell you about

now this one is a little bit more

formal and this one is less formal

but they are both fine the

IELTS Speaking test is not academic

it’s not formal so it’s okay to use

both of them you can also see here

that I’ve written I’d

and I’m so we don’t say

I would like to tell you about or

I am going to tell you about we say

I’d I’m and

this is to help you get a better band
score for your pronunciation

when you use the contraction I would

I’d this is better for your
pronunciation

now after this what

do you need to put well a lot of students

copy the words on that card and it’s not
very good to do that

if you want to get a band score

6 7 and above you need to show the
examiner

that you can use your own language

that you have flexible language

to paraphrase what is written on your
card

so it now let’s look at how we could

paraphrase that so here is one way

to paraphrase the information on the
card

I’d like to talk about a novel

which I read

two weeks ago so you can see that

the word book we paraphrased for the
word

novel now you need to

learn all the different types books

that you can’t read so was it a novel

was it fiction non-fiction was it a
guidebook

was it a self-help book so that’s
one way to paraphrase

take this word and be more accurate

what kind of book was it you can also
see here

I have put clause into the sentence

and that will help you get a higher band
score for your grammar and

here we’ve got two weeks ago

so instead of repeating the word
recently

we can give the time when

you did it two weeks ago 1 week ago

a month ago you can do that so that’s

a very nice way to paraphrase

and start your talk but we can improve
it

let’s have a look at one more and here’s
how we can improve

that start so you can see here that one
thing you can do

it give more information more
description

and we can use an adjective so here

I’ve used the adjective fascinating

which means really interesting
fascinating

you could also put useful

exciting you can describe

the book more and you can also see that
I’ve changed

this the paraphrase here and instead of
giving the information

I have given a paraphrase which is “not

so long ago” and that in a direct
paraphrase for recently

it’s very nice to use that and it

also means that during your talk

you can give more information about exactly

when you read the book and that’s
a way to

develop and extend your talk so I hope
you understand now

one way a good way to start your talk

well that’s all for this to happen I’ll
see you again

in another IELTS lesson

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IELTS Model Essay Score 9 for Direct Questions

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This is an estimated band score 9 model for an IELTS writing task 2 direct questions essay. This model essay shows you how to answer each question directly and how to organise the answers into paragraphs.

The Direct Questions Essay is also known as the IELTS Double Question Essay because it usually has two questions. However, I prefer to called it a Direct Questions Essay because sometimes it is possible to be given three questions instead of two. Also, your task is to answer the direct questions which can be very varied in nature.

IELTS Model Essay Band 9

Some people think that money is one of the most essential factors in promoting happiness.

Do you think people can be happy without much money?

What other factors contribute towards happiness?

Money is considered by many people to be one of the most important contributing factors towards happiness. In my opinion, it is possible for people to be happy even if they have little money and other aspects of life can play a more vital role in creating happiness than wealth alone.

Although money allows people to afford luxuries and treats, which certainly do bring temporary enjoyment and satisfaction, a substantial number of people are happy without money. Firstly, money is no guarantee of happiness, particularly if disease or disaster feature largely in someone’s life. Secondly, as long as people have the money to cover their necessities, doing without luxury items does not negatively affect the pleasures that a good life can bring.

Another way people can gain satisfaction in their life is through their work rather than money. For instance, a doctor doing volunteer service overseas in underdeveloped countries may earn little or no money, but the reward of doing such work is profoundly rewarding. Not only that but it can be a long-term fulfilment that they carry with them through life in the form of rich memories and the knowledge of a life well-lived.

Finally, another influencing factor of contentment in life is having supportive and loving people in one’s life.  While money may bring opportunities to enjoy pleasures, few people would enjoy them in isolation. Being surrounded by a loving and caring family is considered by many people to be the most valuable thing in life. This is one aspect of life that money certainly cannot buy. 

In conclusion, money is not essential for happiness, which can be found through job satisfaction as well as family. If more people strived in life towards true happiness rather than money, the world would be a better place.

297 words.

Examiner Comments: The task given was to answer two questions. The writer answered both questions with relevant main points that were well-developed. The main points were each sufficiently developed for a high score and organised into logical paragraphs with clear signposting. The use of three body paragraphs is not so common in IELTS writing task 2 with most people choosing an essay of only two body paragraphs. However, three body paragraphs does allow for enough developed of main points for a high score. The use of linking devices is skilfully managed. Vocabulary is flexible with less common expressions. Grammar is complex and widely varied with only an odd slip, but not obvious errors.

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Origins of Bread: IELTS T F NG Reading Practice

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A reading practice for the IELTS T F NG questions  (true / false / not given). I’ve put some difficult questions in and also one easy question. I’m sure you can all spot the easy question 🙂 Good luck with the difficult questions 🙂

Here is a quick review of what each one means:

True = the statement matches the information in the passage

False = the statement contradicts the information in the passage

Not Given = the information is not found in the passage

Origins of Bread

Bread is the most widely consumed food in the world. Not only is it an important source of carbohydrates, it’s also small and easy to carry, which helps to explain why it has been part of our diet for thousands of years. In fact, recent scholarship suggests humans started baking bread around 30,000 years ago.

Prehistoric man had already been making gruel from water and grains, so it was a small jump to starting cooking this mixture into a solid bread form by frying it on stones. A 2010 study by the National Academy of Sciences discovered traces of starch (likely from the roots of cattails and ferns) in prehistoric mortar and pestle-like rocks. The roots would have been peeled and dried before they were ground into flour and mixed with water. Finally, the paste would be cooked on heated rocks.

Question 1-4

Which of the following statements are true, false or not given?

  1. Bread is eaten in all countries in the world.
  2. Bread contains carbohydrates.
  3. The first bread was made about 30,000 years ago.
  4. Bread was first made from gruel cooked in clay pots.

Answers

Click below to reveal the answers.

Answers

  1. Not Given (It states in the text that bread is widely eaten in the world but we are not given information that shows it is eaten in all countries. If bread is widely eaten, we still don’t know which countries eat it – possibly only 90% of countries eat it. All countries is not confirmed in the passage)
  2. True (did you spot the easy question?)
  3. True (This is a direct paraphrase of the statement in the passage)
  4. False (The passage says that bread was made from gruel and fried on stones)
Vocab Builder
  • consume food = eat food
  • carbohydrates = foods with sugars and starch (potatoes, bread, pasta etc)
  • gruel = porridge
  • traces = small amounts
  • peeled = had their skins removed
  • ground = crushed / pounded

All reading exercises on ieltsliz.com have been written by myself to help you prepare for your IELTS test.   

Liz

 

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IELTS Listening Practice: Sentence Completion

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These IELTS listening practice lessons have gap fill questions called Sentence Completion. The two practice lessons below have different levels of difficulty because they are based on different sections of the IELTS listening test. All IELTS candidates take the same IELTS Listening Test (both GT and Academic candidates).

IELTS Listening Practice: Sentence Completion

Below you will find two sentence completion listening practice lessons for IELTS. Use these practice lessons to develop your listening skills and also review your techniques for Sentence Completion Listening Questions.

  • Practice Lesson 1: Short Answer Questions & Sentence Completion / Section 2 Level
  • Practice Lesson 2: Sentence Completion Questions / Section 4 Level

For tips and techniques for sentence completion questions, click here: SENTENCE COMPLETION TIPS

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IELTS Listening Practice 1: Sentence Completion 1

This lesson is based on section 2 of the listening test. I’ve added some short answer questions to this practice lesson because in the IELTS listening test, you will get more than one type of question with every section.

Listening Practice: Tom’s Sponsored Walk

Questions 1-3: Use no more than one word or number for your answer.

  1. Does Tom currently serve in the army?
  2. How much did he hope to raise in pounds?
  3. Where was his sponsored walk to take place?

Questions 4-7: Use no more than one word for your answer.

  • 4.  Tom eventually raised a ………………….. £21 million.
  • 5.  Many hope that Tom will be ……………….. for his efforts.
  • 6.  Tom’s aims to support the NHS ………… a chord with many people in the UK.
  • 7.  Tom has shown how a single person can ……….. the nation.

RECORDING:

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TRANSCRIPT & ANSWERS

Use the transcript to check answers after you complete the lesson. Also use it to review keywords and paraphrases. Click below:

Transcript

Army veteran Tom Moore did a sponsored walk at the age of 99 years old to raise money for the NHS (the National Health Service in the UK). His aim was to raise £1,000. This was an ambitious walk of 1.6 miles in his back garden given that he had recently been treated for a broken hip and skin cancer.

As he began his sponsored walk, he was surprised to see the response from the British public as donations started pouring in. By the end of this sponsored walk, he had raised not £1,000 but a staggering £21 million. Many around the country are now calling for Tom Moore to be knighted for his remarkable fund-raising efforts.

Tom Moore has stated that he was “overwhelmed by this sum of money” that was donated. His praise for the NHS struck a chord with many around the country today as the population watch doctors, nurses, other hospital staff and all front-line workers put themselves in harms way to save lives as they battle against the coronavirus crisis. This story truly is an example of how a humble, unambitious person can stir the nation and effect incredible change. Surely we should all be doing more in one way or another. As the saying goes “Every little helps” and who knows whether your modest attempt to help might not also create a flame of support throughout your own country.

Answers
  1. NO
  2. 1,000
  3. GARDEN
  4. STAGGERING
  5. KNIGHTED
  6. STRUCK
    • “to strike a chord” is idiomatic and means:
    • a) to say or do something that other people agree or approve of.
    • b) to say or do something that causes emotions to rise or triggers memories in another person.
  7. STIR
    • to stir a nation means to raise emotions within a country.
  8. News: Unfortunately, Captain Sir Tom Moore died in 2021. He eventually raised a total of just over £30 million before he died. What a man!

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IELTS Sentence Completion Listening Practice 2

This lesson is similar to a level of section 4, which means the language and topic are more challenging.

Comet Landing

Questions 1-8: Write no more than two words and/or a number for the answer.

  1. On ………………. 2014, Philae landed on a comet.
  2. Philae’s goal is to collect information about a comet’s composition and also to capture ………….. of the surface.
  3. Because of an ………… relating to Rosetta’s orbit, Philae could have missed landing on the comet.
  4. The time delay between Rosetta and the controllers on Earth was ……………….
  5. Because of a lack of ……………., the lander had to find its own way down to the comet.
  6. There is an element of ………. in landing in a good location on the comet. 
  7. The lander can drill ……………… into the exterior of the comet for stability.
  8. Analysis will be done on surface composition, amino acids and ……………..

RECORDING:

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TRANSCRIPT & ANSWERS
To see the transcript and answers, click below. 

Transcript
Rosetta spacecraft released Philae lander which landed successfully on a comet on 12 November 2014 at 08:35 GMT. The Philae lander achieved the first-ever controlled touchdown on a comet nucleus. The aim of Philae is to obtain the first images of the surface of the comet as well as make the first in situ analysis to determine the composition of the comet.
An inaccuracy of a few millimetres per second in Rosetta’s orbit could have resulted in Philae completely missing the comet. The descent, monitored from Esa’s mission control in Darmstadt, Germany, lasted about seven hours. Because the comet is about 510 million km from Earth, communication between Rosetta and controllers takes about 28 minutes each way. As a consequence, confirmation of the landing came through just after 16:04 GMT.
There was no steering of the lander down to the comet’s surface. Once released, it was on a path of its own. A certain amount of luck was needed for Philae to land in a nice spot. When the lander hit the surface, harpoons were fired to be used as anchors, although they do not appear to have anchored the craft as intended. The lander also has footscrews to drill into the surface of the comet to keep it secure. Now it’s on the surface of the comet, Philae can get to work. Drills, ovens, cameras and sensors onboard Philae will analyse everything from the surface composition and temperature to the presence of amino acids – essential building blocks in the chemistry of life. (from BBC news)
Answers
  1.  12th november / 12 november
    1. capital letters at the start are not required
    2. IELTS listening does not pay attention to punctuation or the use of capital letters. So, you can use or not use capital letters as you wish.
  2. images
  3. inaccuracy
  4. (about) 28 minutes 
  5. steering
  6. luck
  7. footscrews / foot screws
  8. temperature
VocabBuilder
  • nucleus = center / core
  • in situ = in position
  • to determine = establish / conclude / decide
  • composition = makeup / consistency
  • an inaccuracy = mistake / error
  • to release = liberate / let go
  • to anchor = fasten / secure
  • to fire = to discharge / shoot
  • intended = planned

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IELTS Listening Practice: Time

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It is common to be asked to listen for a time in IELTS listening section 1. This lesson gives you practice in listening and writing down times.



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